Cops haul up trolley touts at Mumbai airport

40-odd members of the Vande Mataram Kaamgaar Sena, who were fleecing passengers at the domestic airport, claiming it was mandatory to use their Rs 500-drop service, have been asked to stop

Barely a week after mid-day reported how touts at the domestic airport were fleecing customers by making them pay nearly Rs 500 for a ‘drop’ from their car to the departure gate, the police have intervened and asked the group to cease their activities.

Officials said members of the group will be fined Rs 5,000 if they are found working at the airport again. File Pic

Officials said members of the group will be fined Rs 5,000 if they are found working at the airport. On September 21, a day after the mid-day report was published, the DCP of Zone VIII had called the leaders of the Vande Mataram Kaamgaar Sena, which had been telling the passengers that it was mandatory to use their services, and asked them for an explanation.

The group, which claimed to possess documents issued by the Airport Authority Of India (AAI), was asked to produce them and to back up their claim that they have been operating at the airport for 35 years. Since the group did not have all the documents with them that day, they were given five days to get them.

Another meeting was conducted on Thursday, which saw representation from the group and police and GVK officials. Dinesh Wadia, leader of the Kaamgaar Sena, said, “The official told us about the situation and said they needed to make a decision soon.”

Cop speakSpeaking to mid-day, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VIII) Virendra Mishra said, “The documents brought by the group at the meeting weren’t legally correct, and they can’t work in the airport premises on the basis of those documents.

They requested us to give them a last chance and speak to their lawyer, and we have done that. Members of the group will be fined if they are found working at the airport again.”